The state of the art includes various known technologies including various architectures for devices that are capable of performing hyperfrequency communications functions, in particular functions such as filtering, multiplexing and routing of hyperfrequency microwave signals transmitted by frequency channels each one thereof having an associated hyperfrequency carrier.
The function of filtering frequency channels consists of filtering one or more carriers in a predetermined frequency channel, thereby enabling the separation of several frequency channels.
The input multiplexing function consists of either separating a stream of carriers or frequency multiplexes composed of P number of different input frequency channels, received on one single input port of a multiplexing device, into P output frequency channels, with each sent on a different port. In a dual manner, the output multiplexing function consists of combining P frequency channels received on M number of input ports into one output multiplex consisting of P frequency channels forwarded on to an output port.
The routing function consists of separating P number of frequency channels received on M input ports towards N number of output ports, by recombining the frequency channels of the input multiplexes into the output multiplexes. More specifically, the input routing function, hereinafter to be referred to as shared output routing, consists of separating at least one first channel of a first input multiplex supplied on a first input port and then of directing it towards a first output multiplex of a first output port, the first output multiplex also comprising a second channel originating from a second input multiplex supplied on a second input port. The so called shared input output routing is defined in a dual manner.
As it may be noted, the routing functions, respectively shared output input routing or shared input output routing, differ from multiplexing because they involve a separation and a recombination of the frequency channels between input and output. The implementation of the routing functions is therefore much more complex than the implementation of the multiplexing functions.
It is a known practice to develop a router device by combining diplexers or by combining resonator filters, with the connections being made with the use of elements for division and passive combination, such as waveguides, “T” junctions, dividers, circulators and isolators. Such a router device is cumbersome having a large mass and space requirement, as well as resulting in additional insertion loss.
It is thus desirable to develop multiport router devices that are capable of performing the functions of filtering as well as of shared output input routing and/or shared input output routing, which are more compact and more efficient than currently known devices.